Animal Resource Center Manager

Halifax Humane Society

Job Description

Position Summary

This is a new position for Halifax Humane Society and represents a shift from our traditional Animal Intake Manager role. The Animal Resource Center Manager leads Halifax Humane Society’s transition toward proactive, community-based animal welfare, with a clear focus on lifesaving.

The manager directs Halifax Humane Society’s lost pet reunification program and develops safety net services to help families keep their pets. This position ensures that every family facing hardship receives compassionate guidance and practical solutions, whether related to lost pet reunification, housing, pet food, or behavioral needs. When surrender or humane euthanasia is the only option, this role provides dignified support while ensuring animals receive appropriate care and triage. The manager develops innovative strategies that reduce unnecessary intake, increase successful reunifications, and enhance the Halifax Humane Society’s role as a trusted community resource.

Key Responsibilities:

Lost Pet Prevention & Reunification (Highest Priority)
• Lead Halifax Humane Society’s lost pet reunification efforts, ensuring every lost pet has the best chance of returning home.
• Actively engage with community-based lost and found platforms (Facebook groups, Nextdoor, neighborhood pages), representing Halifax Humane Society with professionalism and compassion.
• Promote and administer the Petco Love Lost platform; ensure all lost and found pets are properly listed and families are guided in its use.
• Use Halifax Humane Society’s official social media channels to direct families to reunification resources and provide timely community updates.
• Train and coach staff and volunteers in best practices for lost pet prevention and reunification.

Safety Net & Pet Retention Programs
• Design, expand, and manage pet retention services such as food pantries, temporary foster placement, veterinary assistance, housing support, and behavioral resources.
• Provide one-on-one consultations with families considering surrender, identifying solutions that allow pets to remain in their homes whenever possible.
• Partner with local agencies, veterinary practices, and community service providers to strengthen available resources.
• Monitor and report on program outcomes, adjusting strategies to maximize lifesaving impact.

Animal Intake & Veterinary Triage
• Supervise and support animal intake staff, ensuring every family interaction is compassionate, respectful, and solutions-oriented.
• Apply basic veterinary knowledge to oversee intake, including initial health assessments and triage for urgent medical needs.
• Work in close collaboration with veterinary staff to ensure animals receive timely and appropriate medical attention.
• Uphold fear-free, humane handling standards throughout intake procedures.

Community Engagement
• Strengthen Halifax Humane Society’s reputation as a community resource center by building trust with local families and partners.
• Create and deliver outreach strategies that educate the public on responsible pet ownership, lost pet prevention, and available assistance programs.
• Represent Halifax Humane Society at public events, civic meetings, and professional conferences, advocating for our lifesaving mission.
Organizational Leadership
• Lead, train, and mentor staff and volunteers assigned to Animal Resource Center programs.
• Collaborate across departments (adoptions, veterinary, operations, advancement) to ensure services align with Halifax Humane Society’s lifesaving goals.
• Regularly report on metrics, success stories, and program outcomes to senior leadership.
• Model Halifax Humane Society’s mission, vision, and core values in every internal and external interaction.

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in social services, nonprofit management, animal welfare, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 3 years of experience in animal welfare, social services, case management, or community resource coordination.
• Demonstrated expertise in lost pet reunification strategies and safety net programs.
• Familiarity with basic veterinary concepts and animal triage preferred.
• Skilled communicator with the ability to engage empathetically across diverse populations.
• Professional presence on social media as a representative of an organization.
• Proven leadership experience managing people, programs, and outcomes.
Core Competencies
• Familiarity with PetPoint shelter software and Petszel post-adoption support platform.
• Compassionate problem-solving with a customer service mindset.
• Ability to use data-driven decision-making to evaluate and improve programs.
• Strong skills in collaboration and building community partnerships.
• Resilience and professionalism in emotionally challenging situations.
• Innovative and forward-thinking, with the ability to adapt safety net programs to meet evolving community needs.

About Halifax Humane Society
Halifax Humane Society is transforming from a traditional intake-based shelter to a proactive, community-focused resource center. We are committed to keeping people and pets together, reuniting lost pets with families, and providing programs that prevent unnecessary shelter intake. The Animal Resource Center Manager plays a pivotal role in this transformation, ensuring Halifax Humane Society is a leader in lifesaving, compassionate animal welfare.

This is a full time job